Portable ECV rental advice needed

[sb682]

I am not sure yet whether I can talk my DH into using an ECV during our trip, so right now my plan is to have the contact info for a few companies handy if he changes his mind during our stay. We're staying off property (not quite sure yet, definitely either Bonnet Creek or DTD area) and driving, so I want to find an ECV that I can disassemble and put in my trunk (a Ford Fusion). Anyone done this before? How big a hassle is it? Which company would you recommend?

 

[bedogged]

I am not sure yet whether I can talk my DH into using an ECV during our trip, so right now my plan is to have the contact info for a few companies handy if he changes his mind during our stay. We're staying off property (not quite sure yet, definitely either Bonnet Creek or DTD area) and driving, so I want to find an ECV that I can disassemble and put in my trunk (a Ford Fusion). Anyone done this before? How big a hassle is it? Which company would you recommend?

I can't answer all your questions, but I would suggest that you try and rent a Pride Go Go Elite Traveler Plus. It is a small portable scooter that comes apart in 4 or five pieces and would fit into the trunk. The whole scooter only weighs about 117 pounds and is easy to assemble. Many companies offer them for rent.

 

[zumbergc]

I recommend assembling and taking the scooter apart in your room a few times for practice b4 doing it outside
No pressure take your time and learn how it goes.

Then the first evening u come back u won't be as frazzled taking it apart when it's dark out with little light.
I recommend it so your les frustrated and have good lighting.

If its a small car parts of the scooter may need to go in the back seat
We always rented from walker and would put the seat in the back seat of the car

 

[SueM in MN]

Follow the link in my signature to the disABILITIES FAQs thread (or look for it near the top of this board).

Post2 of that thread has information about renting ECVs, including links and phone numbers for the companies DIS posters recommend most.
The different rental company websites have a lot of information about the scooter they rent. Some even had videos that show how to take apart and reassemble the scooters they rent.
They should be able to answer questions about how well it would fit in your trunk - since a lot of people rent, they usually do have good ideas about how well they will fit in common cars.

As the other posters mentioned, some of the scooters are quite small and easy to take apart. Good suggestion to do a trial in the room.

 

[peemagg]

I can confirm for a fact that a Pride Go Go Elite Traveler Plus can easily fit in the trunk of a Ford Fusion. This is my personal scooter, and the exact car that we own and will be using to transport my scooter. In fact we chose that car due to the fact that my scooter fits in the trunk. It does take up the best part of the trunk (you would be able to fit some small things like 1 or 2 backpacks in there).

It is a very easy scooter to take apart. You first lift the seat straight off, then lift the battery off. At the back of the seat post there is a lever that you pull up on to separate the front deck from the rear wheels. You lift on the deck part back by the seat area to separate the two pieces after lifting and holding the lever. You then lock the tiller into the straight position and lower the tiller. If you have a basket on the front or rear, you also remove those. Hint: the rear wheels do not need to be removed from the deck to fit in the trunk of the Fusion. If you have two people who can lift say about 50- 75 lbs together, it works well and saves trunk space. To reassemble it is just done in reverse. The only real tricky part on reassembling is getting the deck and rear wheels lined up properly so that they snap together, but after doing it once or twice, you will be a pro.

I know that Apple scooters rent that exact scooter. It is a scooter that is rated to 300 lbs. I would say that if your husband is about 50lbs less than that mark, then this would be a good choice. If he weighs between 250 and 300 lbs, you will probably need to go with the HD version of this scooter. Also my scooter is the 3 wheel model, but a 4 wheel one should fit just fine too. If he needs a scooter larger than one rated for 325lbs, then he is going to have to go with one like the Pride Victory, and I am not sure how that breaks down or even if it can to fit in a trunk. Most scooters that are meant to be transported like this are classified as travel scooters.

 

[aubriee]

We rented a Pride Go Go Elite from Apple Scooters in both Sept and again for our Oct/Nov trip. It fit into the trunk of the midsize car we rented in Sept and also the Premium car we rented in Oct/Nov with no problem. I took it apart and put it back together the first time inside the room and was surprised at how quick and easy it was. Due to her arthritis and really bad knees, my mom moves really slow and was the one who used the ECV. By the time she got herself in the car and got the GPS out, I already had the ECV apart and in the trunk. It takes only a minute (maybe two) to take one apart or put it back together. In the pocket behind the seat (where the charger stores) there is a laminated sheet with very easy instructions and how to disassemble one.